Judicial officer had tough time reaching hospital for kin’s revival

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 4

In a major embarrassment for the Haryana Government, judicial officers across the state today virtually placed the police in dock by claiming little was done to safeguard them during the Jat agitation for reservation.

A judicial officer, whose mother-in-law expired, faced difficulty in reaching hospital for exploring the chances of revival, the Punjab and Haryana High Court was told. At Hansi, only one police guard was left for the entire judicial complex and residences of judicial officers.

In status reports submitted to the High Court, the officers claimed they were compelled to leave their residences as the police failed to provide security. Bringing the matter to the notice of the top police officials also did not help.

In his report, Jhajjar District and Sessions Judge AS Narang asserted the situation was indeed “very grim” and the judicial officers in order to save themselves had to leave their homes and stay at two transit houses for security reasons. The judicial officers also confirmed that the police did not provide security, even though the officers personally met Jhajjar SP and the Inspector General of Police.

Elaborating, the judicial officers added they reached a consensus to leave the houses along with their families to settle at a common place in the officers’ colony. A woman judicial officer, meanwhile, faced the misfortune of her mother-in-law passing away. As panic had already struck, it was difficult to reach hospital to explore the feasibility of revival and finally go to the cremation ground.

Additional force was not provided to accompany the “grief-stricken officer”. Even assurance of safe passage was not given. The judicial officers were compelled to remove name plates from their residences. “The offices were left to manage with their personal security staff, which was inadequate in the alarming circumstances…,” no less than 10 judicial officers of Jhajjar district asserted.

Coming out with similar information, Sonepat District and Sessions Judge DS Sheoran submitted the situation was pathetic. The district administration failed to provide security arrangements for the judicial officers, the administrative staff and other officials residing in the staff colony.

“It was learnt at the relevant time the DC and the SP, Sonepat, shifted their families to safer places, whereas the judicial officers along with others housed in the Mini-Secretariat, Sonepat, were left at the mercy of the God, without providing any security arrangements during agitation,” he said.

Hisar Sessions Judge added police personnel already deployed for security of the judicial complex at Hansi were withdrawn for deployment elsewhere. Only one police guard was left for the entire judicial complex and the residences of judicial officers. “The security aspects were very poor during the period of agitation at Hansi,” he asserted.

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